SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI Scarlett || Happy 12th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish 🎂

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, celebrating however they celebrate. But it’s not just Easter Sunday — 12 years ago today I made my very first post on Coffee & Nail Polish! So I thought it would be fun, & for this week’s Swatch Sunday I would share the first very nail polish I ever used for a manicure: Nicole by OPI (RIP) Scarlett from the Selena Gomez collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful metallic pink was originally released as part of the Nicole by OPI Spring Collection which was Selena Gomez themed. I picked up this beauty at my local Lawton’s Drugs (which was one of my favourite places for clearance nail polish) for the stellar price of $2.50.

The formula on this one was slightly thin, but not too thin it made it hard to apply. 2 coats built to this perfect opacity. The finish though — the finish is my favourite. It’s this gorgeous glass fleck finish. Also I love that it sort of looks pink, but also sort of looks red.

Stunning.

Close up of this beautiful finish. I love the shimmer, the pinkish glow; all of it. It really does glow on the nail which just adds to the beauty.

& obviously, since today is the anniversary of my very first blog post, I had to do a recreation of my very first design — a red on red leopard print. Base is Scarlett & my spots were done using Nicole by OPI Basking in Gloria (from the Modern Family collection).

Unfortunately I did forget to matte-ify my design & didn’t realize until after the fact, but I still love my recreation.

What do you think about this throwback shade! I feel like the NOPI shades were definitely ahead of their time for drugstore brands. I really miss them, & cherish the shades I still have.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Brewberry

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! The very first Sunday of January — & the very first Swatch Sunday of 2026.

& I’m excited because I have a brand new polish to share with you that I was gifted by my husband for Christmas. It’s not often he buys polish for me without me asking, as he’s always worried that he’s going to buy one I already own. So you imagine my surprise when I opened my Christmas present, & found this beauty looking back at me!

This is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Brewberry.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful deep dark pink/fuchsia applied beautifully in 2 coats, with great opacity. I like that it has a bit of a blue tone to it, because I feel like it compliments my skin tone really well.

The formula was smooth, easy to apply, & dried to a relatively shiny finish even before I applied top coat. My internet research tells me this shade was part of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Birthday collection in 2024, but I’m glad to see it was added to the permanent core collection.

Close up!

The formula really is one of my favourite parts of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line. The brush is also a favourite because it’s wide, & makes for a quick application. It also makes for a lovely, smooth cuticle line — although sometimes I get the wonky brush, which makes application a bit more complicated. But Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is one of my favourite nail lines to purchase from, so I’m always excited when someone else buys me a shade from the line — as they have gotten a bit pricey in recent years.

I’m just loving how beautiful this shade is — a stunning jewel tone for this time of year. Brightens up these dark depressing January days post the holidays.

What do you think of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Brewberry? Do you love the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line as well? Did you get any fun nail polishes for the holidays? Let me know down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday ♥︎

Festive Berry Toned Colour Blocking

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday!

I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. With the day off for Remembrance Day on Tuesday, I feel like my whole week is so askew! But I am trying to keep on my painting & posting schedule as best as possible, so here we go!

Today’s look is a simple one, but perfect for this time of year. The holiday vibes are really hitting hard now, so why not have nails to match! & I much prefer a pink Christmas vibe, myself.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle) 
  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri The Queens Velvet
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Frosted Berries
  • OPI Infinite Shine Bring Out The Big Gems

I’m a huge fan of designs like this which feature similar tones all paired together. It looks so beautiful. & I’m very into this pinky red colour scheme right now! As a lady truly dedicated to a crimson nail polish, it’s a nice change from my usual go to shades.

& colour blocking like this is so easy to do! Obviously if you don’t feel comfortable free-handing, you can use nail tape/vinyls — but honestly, once you practice doing it without, you realize how quick & easy it is!

What do you think about my berry toned colour blocking? Do you like this combination of colours? Let me know all your thoughts in the comment below, & if you would wear this design!

Enjoy your Thursday!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Expressie Power Moves (Spring 2024)

PR/Gifted

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s been another crazy busy week for me this week, so I apologize for lacking in the posting. There has just been so much going on behind the scenes that I’ve honestly forgotten to take pictures of my nails. Today, though, we have a bright & Spring-y shade to show off, & it’s feeling perfect for the warm days we’ve been having!

This is Essie Expressie Power Moves from the Spring 2024 collection. It was kindly gifted to me by Essie.

2 coats + top coat

Described as a “hot orchid” by Essie, this beautiful pink is the perfect non-pastel Spring colour. & while pastels can be fun, there is something about a bright in your face manicure that I just love.

The formula is smooth, & easy to apply but I did find I needed to make sure that I had a good amount of polish on the brush otherwise it would streak slightly. The Expressie brushes have that wide brush, which makes application super easy. You get coverage in minimal swipes. &, thanks to the Expressie quick dry formula, your dry time is super quick.

I did finish off my manicure with my Essie Gel Couture top coat, to give it a nice plumper finish.

The Essie Expressie line is available wherever you purchase your Essie shades, & range in price generally from 10.49 CAD to 14.99 CAD regular price.

What do you think about Essie Expressie Power Moves? Do you think this is a great shade for Spring? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! & share what shade youre currently wearing this Sunday.

💗

Pink Holo Half Moons 🌙

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday.

Trying to post all the designs I did during my hiatus from posting, & I thought this was a fun & easy design. You know I adore half moons, & I love how this one turned out.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist Advanced
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat
  • Wrenn Polish Ruby Slippers
  • Essie No More Film
  • Essie Leggy Legend
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio (smallest size)
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements

Half moons are such an easy look. I added my little gold dots to make it a bit more exciting, & I really like how they turned out. Mostly I’ve been leaning into the Spring shades in my collection, but every so often I reach for something darker.

What do you think about these half moons? Do you like this combination of colours?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below. I always love to hear what you think!